VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world (VoiceThread, 2009). A VoiceThread can be used by friends, students and colleagues where they can record their own comments using voice, text, audio file or video (VoiceThread, 2009).

When I began creating my VoiceThread account I was not very confident and thought that something had to go wrong, as it is the last tool that I am exploring in this section. I have to admit that I was quite surprised. I set up my free account, downloaded some images from Flickr, uploaded them to VoiceThread from my computer and then typed in some instructions on the first image. I had to change the settings to make it public and able to be shared. I created one titled 'African Animals' and it shows an elephant, giraffe, leopard and zebra. In groups I would ask students to research a particular animal (features, habitat, interesting facts, etc) and enter some information in the corresponding image. More animal images could be uploaded in the future however for now time would not allow.

This type of program promotes group collaboration in an authentic setting and demonstrates the effectiveness of computers as communication tools. It allows the user to interact with others around a specific context and make a worthwhile contribution back to the network. For this reason, I feel that this ICT tool aligns well with Kearsley and Schneiderman's (1999) Engagement Theory and the relate, create, donate components.


References:
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

VoiceThread. (2009). About. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://voicethread.com/about/